I am about to do the big photo dump from the last holiday months of the year. how I let 2 months go by without a peep over here.. well I know exactly why.
this is a busy season of life. I keep saying that. maybe to myself. I don't know. but I keep saying it. that not all my seasons of life will look like this one. and then i'll have time to do things like.. blog.
until then I am cutting myself tons of slack in this part of my life and doing what I can. chatbooks have been a huge life savor to my peace of mind. and i'm pretty religious about keeping up with our family day to day over there. but.. they cant replace these books. they just cant
I used to write a lot more here. I loved it. it was an outlet for me when I was a mom of one.. and even two.
today while driving back from town, I wanted to write again. fill up these books on our shelves with the stories of our kids lives. I love the photos, and they're important too. but I miss the story telling.
life passes quickly. seasons change. and I am somehow always standing there looking back all confused. how did that happen? I don't remember all those drastic changes. questioning.. did i enjoy that enough? was that fun enough? was i present enough? blah blah blah.
this year.. it was a big one. each member of this family did big things. together we did big things. and lots of those big things are huge personal milestones.
like lynley. she has stopped throwing up, her sleep apnea is gone, she eats totally normally, even finally admitting to liking mashed potatoes! getting her tonsils out this year was a life changer for her. the food struggles that we had with her were real, and they were hard. the anxiety that she faced around food was a huge part of our lives. having her tonsils out solved some of those problems, but really, she mentally found a way to deal with it! she discovered how powerful her brain is, and how to figure out what was REALLY going on with her body. being able to recognize why her heart was hurting (anxiety) and why she felt nauseous. the mashed potatoes hurdle is just so BIG! not that she had to like mashed potatoes. but the fact that she was willing to even tryyyy them. the doctor told us that all food probably tasted super bland to her, so we tried to explain that some foods she hated before, she might like now. she still gets a kick out of it. lol.
she also has figured out how to be a good friend, and leave friends who weren't making her happy. another huge thing for her. starting public school had some adjustments to learn, and handling her friendships was a learning process. sometimes a painful one. however, this year, she has really learned how to handle her peers in such a positive way.
callie has gone from a little 2 year old to a still little 3 year old. taking on roll as big sister as best she can when your little sister is bigger than you. lol. she has had to grow up though, in many ways. lucky for her she has an amazing big sister who is always willing to snuggle at night, tickle her back, comfort her, play with her, and teach her. its interesting to watch these two girls.. and the way that callie relies on lynley for so many things. lynley is always there for cal. i want them to remember this. they have a real, deep bond. i am thankful for that.
Elaine, well she turned into a little person this year. learning everything from eating, walking, sleeping in her own room, she can even say some words now. (hi, bye bye, baba, dada, mama, meow, uh oh, thank you..) she is sugar and spice. sweet as can be one minute, and demanding what she needs the next. i think that's her third child coming out though.. she knows how to communicate very well, even without many words. she gets what she needs. i am thankful for that, as loud as it can be. because with how busy i can be, sometimes i need a loud reminder that i need to pay that sweet sweet child some alone attention in the rocking chair.
tyler built a house.
i mean.. come on! that's huge! and that's probably the one thing I've actually written about the most this year here.
he overcame obstacle after obstacle to accomplish this home. i watched him work until his body literally just couldn't go any more, which was never an option. it was amazing to watch him, just not be intimidated but any of it. he would tell me ok, this week we're building all the shelves in all the closets and pantry. and i couldn't even wrap my mind around that task. it seemed SO BIG. which, it was. a massive project. each closet had to be designed. measured perfectly. strong. and make sense. so we went to lowes and bought a huge stack of MDF. the designs were all in his head. then we got home, and he just starts cutting boards. nailing them together. gluing. nailing. cutting. i had no clue what was going on.. seriously. and day after day, board by board, he did it. if you ever walk through our house, the shelving is impressive. and i want to cry every time i put laundry away (almost every time) because i am so thankful that what seemed literally IMPOSSIBLE to me, he did. and did well. that's just one example. now put that same kind of story to every inch of this house. :) his fingerprints are all over this home. and memories flood back to my mind all throughout the day.. when i'm mopping.. wiping counters.. cleaning toilets.. folding towels.. looking out a window.. so many memories.
the house was a family affair. and each person sacrificed for it. even the little people in the family. there was many long nights, and longer days. the little details included us all. and i think it makes us love it even more. appreciate it a little bit deeper. not a day goes by in this house that a prayer isn't said that mentions our pretty new house. because all the hard work and sacrifice in the world couldn't have made it fall into a perfect puzzle like it did. We were guided, the Lords hand prints are all over this home as well. and well be forever thankful for that.
i have loved being a mom, wife, sister, and friend this year. really finding my place in basin city. really coming to love this country life that we've chosen. I've found light in darkness. i also started my etsy shop. that has been an adventure for me, that doesn't seem real. some passions that ive had since i was a little kid, turning into a little extra grocery money. who would've thought? certainly not me. ive sent cards with words of love and encouragement to countless people all over the country. strangers.. who have a story, just like me. that project has been life changing for me, and very therapeutic. i am thankful for that opportunity, and people who have helped me give to others.
well.. there's a little glimpse into our year. it was one worth remembering. one worth celebrating. one filled with unending tender mercies from the Lord. and one that i will tuck away and treasure forever.
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